The Federal Government has declared Oct. 10 as public holiday to mark Eid-el-Maulud celebration in commemoration of the birth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Dr Shuaib Belgore, made this known in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

According to him, the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, who made the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government, congratulated all Muslims both at home and in the diaspora for witnessing the celebration.

The minister admonished all Nigerians to imbibe the spirit of love, patience, tolerance and perseverance which are deep spiritual virtues and which the Holy Prophet exemplified.

He said that doing so would guarantee peace, security and harmony in the country.

Aregbesola urged Nigerians, particularly Muslims, to refrain from violence, lawlessness and other acts of criminality, adding that “as the indisputable leader of our race, we must demonstrate responsible leadership in Africa”.

The minister called for a stop to all divisive tendencies across the country.

He also urged all Nigerians, and the youth in particular, to embrace the virtues of hard work and peaceful disposition to fellow humans, irrespective of faith, ideology, social class and ethnicity.

Aregbesola enjoined Nigerians to join hands with the President Muhanmmadu Buhari-led administration in its efforts to build a progressive and enviable nation that all citizens would be proud of.

He also urged Nigerians to be security conscious, asking them to report any suspicious persons or activities to the nearest security agency and through the N-Alert application on android and IOS.

“When you see something, do N-Alert, as this would illicit prompt response from security agents.“

Aregbesola wished all Muslims a happy celebration and Nigerians a happy holiday.